week 6

Question 1

social psychology

Answer 1

the subfield of psychology that explores the effects of the social world on the behavior and mental processes of individuals and groups

Question 2

Social cognition

Answer 2

mental processes associated with people’s perceptions of and reactions to other people

Question 3

Self-concept

Answer 3

the way one thinks of oneself

Question 4

Self-esteem

Answer 4

the evaluations people make of their worth as human beings

Question 5

Social comparison

Answer 5

using other people as a basis of comparison for evaluating oneself

Question 6

Reference groups

Answer 6

categories of people with whom individuals compare themselves

Question 7

Social identity

Answer 7

the beliefs we hold about the groups to which we belong

Question 8

Social perception

Answer 8

the processes through which people interpret information about others, draw inferences about them, and develop mental representations of them

Question 9

Schemas

Answer 9

generalizations about categories of objects, places, events, and people

Question 10

Self-fulfilling prophesy

Answer 10

a process in which an initial impression causes us to bring out behavior in another that confirms the impression

Question 11

Attribution

Answer 11

the process of explaining the causes of people’s behavior, including our own

Question 12

Fundamental attribution error

Answer 12

a bias toward attributing the behavior of others to internal factors

Question 13

Actor-observer effect

Answer 13

the tendency to attribute other people’s behavior to internal causes while attributing one’s own behavior to external causes

Question 14

Self-serving bias

Answer 14

the tendency to attribute one’s successes to internal characteristics while blaming one’s failures on external causes

Question 15

Attitude

Answer 15

a tendency toward a particular cognitive, emotional, or behavioral reaction to objects in one’s environment

Question 16

Elaboration likelihood model

Answer 16

a model of attitude change suggesting that people can change their attitudes through a central route (by considering an argument’s content) or through a peripheral route (by relying on irrelevant persuasion cues)

Question 17

Cognitive dissonance theory

Answer 17

a theory that attitude change is driven by efforts to reduce tension caused by inconsistencies between attitudes and behaviors

Question 18

Stereotypes

Answer 18

false assumptions that all members of some group share the same characteristics

Question 19

Prejudice

Answer 19

a positive or negative attitude toward people in certain groups

Question 20

Social discrimination

Answer 20

differential treatment of people in certain groups: the behavioral component of prejudice

Question 21

Contact hypothesis

Answer 21

the idea that stereotypes and prejudice toward a group will diminish as contact with the group increases

Question 22

Matching hypothesis

Answer 22

the notion that people are most likely to form committed relationships with those who are similar to themselves in physical attractiveness

Question 23

Social norms

Answer 23

learned, socially-based rules that prescribe what people should or should not do in various situations

Question 24

Deindividuation

Answer 24

a psychological state occurring in group members that results in loss of individuality and a tendency to do things not normally done when alone

Question 25

Conformity

Answer 25

changing one’s behavior or beliefs to match those of others, generally as a result of real or imagined (though unspoken) group pressure

Question 26

Compliance

Answer 26

adjusting one’s behavior because of a direct request

Question 27

Obedience

Answer 27

changing behavior in response to a demand from an authority figure

Question 28

Aggressive behavior (aggression)

Answer 28

an act that is intended to hurt another person

Question 29

Frustration-aggression hypothesis

Answer 29

a proposition that frustration always leads to some form of aggressive behavior

Question 30

Environmental psychology

Answer 30

the study of the effects of the physical environment on people’s behavior and mental processes

Question 31

Prosocial behavior (helping behavior)

Answer 31

any act that is intended to benefit another person

Question 32

Altruism –

Answer 32

an unselfish concern for another’s welfare

Question 33

Arousal cost-reward theory

Answer 33

a theory attributing people’s prosocial behavior to their efforts to reduce unpleasant arousal in the face of someone’s need or suffering, while also considering the costs involved

Question 34

Bystander effect

Answer 34

a phenomenon in which the chances that someone will help in an emergency decreases as the number of people present increases

Question 35

Empathy-altruism helping theory

Answer 35

a theory suggesting that people help others because they feel empathy toward them

Question 36

Cooperation

Answer 36

any type of behavior in which people work together to attain a goal

Question 37

Competition

Answer 37

any type of behavior in which individuals try to attain a goal while denying others access to that goal

Question 38

Conflict

Answer 38

what occurs when a person or group believes that another person or group interferes with the attainment of a goal

Question 39

Social dilemmas

Answer 39

situations in which actions that produce rewards for one individual will produce negative consequences for all if they are adopted by everyone

Question 40

Social facilitation

Answer 40

a phenomenon in which the presence of others improves a person’s performance

Question 41

Social interference

Answer 41

a reduction in performance due to the presence of other people

Question 42

Social loafing

Answer 42

exerting less effort when performing a group task than when performing the same task alone

Question 43

Task-motivated leaders

Answer 43

leaders who provide close supervision, lead by giving directions, and generally discourage group discussion

Question 44

Relationship-motivated leaders

Answer 44

leaders who provide loose supervision, ask for group members’ ideas, and are generally concerned with subordinates’ feelings

Question 45

Groupthink

Answer 45

a pattern of thinking that renders group members unable to evaluate realistically the wisdom of various options and